7a Grafton Street in Mayfair was built around 1772 as part of a row of fine townhouses by Sir Robert Taylor, with subsequent alterations in the 1920′s/30′s. Berlin-based Sprüth Magers, who formerly had a constrained gallery space on the ground floor, have returned, taking over the newly-refurbished building to give them four levels of gallery spaces, retaining many of the original features from the original building and from the later alterations, including the ornate iron lift cage, with large windows facing out into Mayfair allowing daylight to flow into the gallery, casting shadows on the walls, particularly on the first floor where the windows face south down Dover Street. Particularly impressive is the high vaulted basement space with its tall windows soaring up to the pavement above.
Their inaugural exhibition includes new works on paper “Mum” by the British artist Gary Hume as he explores recollections of the relationship between mother and son at a time of his mother’s declining health, using a technique of gloss paint on paper that creates undulations and fluctuations in the work.